Interlocking means for controlling elevator mechanisms



March 25 1924.

w. E. HALE INTERLOCKYLNG MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELEVATOR MECHANISMS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 'Filed April '7, 1922 Mm/ CONTROL SWITCH II II I" (/M/TSWITCH March 25,1924; 1,488,341

W. E. HALE "INTERLIOCKING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELEVATOR MECHANISMSFiled April 74 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

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@ STATES WILLIAM E. HALE OF FORT WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TOB. H. BEAUMONT COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELEVATOR MECHANISMS.

Application filed. April 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. WILLIAM E. HALE, a

citizen of the United States. residing in Fort Washington. MontgomeryCounty, Pennsyla Vania, have invented certain Improvements inInterlocking Means for Controlling Elevator Mechanisms, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improve ments in elevating mechanisms,especially of the skip hoist type, in which material is discharged intoa bucket which is carried up to a certain elevation and discharged intoa hopper of a bin or conveyor fromwlnch it it is distributed.

In certain types of skip hoists, coal and ashes are handled and it isdesirable when coal is being handled that it Toe-discharged into theproper bin and likewise the ashes.

One object of the present invention is to construct an interlockingmeans which will prevent the accidental discharge of ashes into thehoisting bucket when coal is being elevated.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for, automaticallyshifting a valve so as to direct the'material into the proper bin. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in elevation and partly in section showingthe interlocking mechanism arranged so as to prevent the discharge of anash car into the hoisting bucket.

Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the interlocking mechanismin posltion to allow the discharge of an ash oar;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the l ne 44, Fig. 2, Fig; 5 1s aperspective view of the guard; and Fig. 6 is a diagram of the wiring ofthe to switch mechanism.

\ 1 is apit. 2'is a skip hoist track which extends from the pit to apoint above a ho per 3. 4: is a skip hoist bucket of the ordinary typehaving wheels 5 which-travel,

1922. Serial No. 550,424. D

ing mechanism is used to elevate the bucket from the pit 1 to a pointabove the hopper 3 where it is discharged as shown 'by dotted lines,Fig. 1, by any of the well' known means.

6 is a bin for coal, or other like material. This bin can be locatedunder railroad tracks so as to receive. material directly from a car, orit can be located close to a piling floor.

7 is a chute having a suitable valve 8 for controlling "the flow ofmaterial through the chute. This chute extends over the bucket 4 when inthe loading position so asto allow coal to flow from the hopper throughthe chute into bucket. When the bucket is raised,'then it automaticallymoves the chute from the position shown in Fig. 1'to that shown in Fig.2., preventing further flow of material through the chute. When thebucket is raised and discharged, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the"contents flow from the hopper through a chute 9 to a bin, or otherreceptacle, for the coal. A valve 10, which is pivoted at 11 and underthe control of mechanism which will be hereinafter described, allowscoal to flow into the chute 9 and cuts off the ash chute 12.

13 is an ash car, which is mounted on wheels, as shown, and is adaptedto be pushed manually from the boiler room, or other point, tothe edgeof the platform 14 above the pit 1, so that the ashes can be dischargedfrom the ash car into the bucket of the skip hoist, as shown in Fig. 2.

15 is avertical shaft adapted to hearings in suitable stands 17 and 18,and havin at its upperend an operating arm 19. ear the lower'end of theshaft 15 is an arm 20 having a rectangular guard 21, which 1 is in thepath of the ash car when in'the position illustrated in Fig. 1 so as toprevent the passage of the ash car beyond the guard, making itimpossible for a laborer'to. discharge the ash car into the hoistingbucket ,4 when coal is being elevated.

V 22 is an arm on the shaft 15 to which is attached a rope 23 leadingaround sheaves 24 to the. lower end of the chute operating bar 25. Alsoattached to the arm 22 is a rope 26 which passes around sheaves 27 and28 and up to a point near the hopper 3 and around sheaves 29. Betweenthe sheaves 29 the rope 26 is attached at 30 to an .arm 31 of the valve10. The rope passes down and around a sheave 32 to the arm so that, whenthe shaft is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1. the valve is turnedin order to directmaterial through the chute 9, the guard preventing theash car from being moved to the discharge point. The

pivoted section of the chute is in position to load the bucket 4 withcoal.

When the shaft 15 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2. then thevalve 10 is moved to a position to close the coal chute 9 and open theash chute 12. The guard is moved out of the path of the ash car, whichis free to be moved to the edge "of he platform and its contentsdischarged into the skip hoist bucket. The pivoted section of the chuteis raised on the upward movement of the bucket to cut off the flow ofmaterial from the bin (3. The chute remains in the raised position untilthe operating bar is released to allow it to move into the path of thebucket.

33 is a limit switch operated by a cam 33 on the shaft 15, and, as shownin the diagram, Fig. 6, this switch is in the circuit of the mainmagnetic control switch 34 which controls the motor 35. 36 is anotherlimit switch which is at the rails of the skip hoist and a lever 37 ofthe switch is actuated by the bucket. When the skip hoist is used forcoal, then the shaft 15 is moved to position to open the limit switch33. The operation of the switch 36 by the bucket will have no effectupon the main control switch 34, and the skip bucket will move toitsfull extent so as to receive coal from the pivoted chute. If, however,the shaft 15 is moved so as to open the gangway and allow the ash car tobe moved to a position to discharge its load into the skip hoist, thenthe switch 33 is in the closed position, and when the skip bucket isbeing lowered it will come in contact with the lever 37 of the switch 36which will open the switch and prevent the further movement of thebucket. The bucket will then be in position to receive ashes from theash car and will not operate the coal chute.

lVhile I have illustrated the ash car as a simple hand car, it will beunderstood that in some instances it may be of the power driven type.

It will be seen that when the skip hoist is used for handling coal, itwill be impossible for the contents of the ash car to be discharged intothe bucket. When the apparatus is used for handling ashes, it isimpossible to load the bucket with coal or to discharge coal into thecoal chute.

It will be understood that while the inve-ntion is described as used inconnection with coal and ashes, it can be used in hanfrom the hopper; avalve controlling the flow of material to either of said chutes; andmeans for preventing movement of the hand operated car when material isbeing loaded into the skip hoist bucket'from the. chute, said means alsocontrolling. the valve so that the material discharged from the car willbe directed through one chute and the material discharged fromthe'loading chute will be directed to the other chute controlled by thevalve. a

2. The combination in a skip hoist, of a hoisting bucket; rails on whichthe bucket travels; an elevated hopper over which the rails extend andinto which the contents of the bucket are discharged; chutes leadingfrom the hopper; a valvefor directing the flow of material to eitherchute; a hopper for coal; a chute leading from the hopper for loadingthe bucket; a platform; an ash car arranged to travel on the platform; avertical shaft having a guard. which, when moved into one position, willinterfere with the movement of the ash car, and,,when moved into anotherposition, will allow the car to be moved to the edge of the latform todischarge its load; and mechanism connecting the shaft with the chutevalve so that, when the bucket is carrying coal, the coal, whendischarged, will flow through the coal chute, and, when carrying ashes,the ashes, when discharged, will flow through the ash chute.

3. The combination in a skip hoist, of a bucket; rails on which thebucket is adapted to travel; a chute in front of the rails for loadingmaterial into the bucket; a platform at the rear of the rails on which acar can be run and its contents discharged into the bucket; a hopper atthe upper end of the skip hoist into which the bucket discharges itsload; means for preventing the movement of the car beyond a certainpoint on the platform when the bucket is ,being loaded with materialfrom the chute; a motor for operating the hoist; a main control switchfor the motor; a switch operated by the above means, which prevents themovement of the car beyond a certain oint; and a switch arranged to beactuate by the skip hoist bucket, the mechanism being so arranged that,when the bucket is bein load ed from one oint, material cannot e discharged into t" e bucket from another point.

4. The combination in a skip hoist, of a track: a bucket arranged totravel on said track: a chute in front of the track arranged todischarge material into the bucket; means for discharging material intothe bucket arranged back of the track; a hopper at the 7 upper end ofthe track into which the bucket discharges its load ;'tWo chutes leadingfrom the hopper; a valve for directing the material into eithen chute;and means for op- 10 from the means at the back of the track Will 15 bedirected into the other hopper chute.

WILLIAM E. HALE.

